A Queen's Strategy
by Only1ToniD
Summary: After watching Stefan & Gabi spar on February 12, I got ideas.


**A Queen's Strategy**

Gabi watched as Stefan flopped into the armchair without losing a drop of his precious scotch & the wheels started turning as she felt that strange energy zinging better them yet again.

Gabi couldn't deny she had always felt this... tension between them even from their first meeting. But back then she'd been with Eli, and if nothing else she was faithful. Not that he had ended up deserving it. Things were different now. She was single. They both were and despite everything that followed that chemistry remained.

It mostly disgusted her, but in the moment, it gave her an idea. Gabi set aside her briefcase and put her proposal beside him on the end table. Careful to arch her back, she bent toward him and sucked in her stomach as she rose back up to her full 5'7"—in heels—stature, all the while studying him under her thick lashes. Oh, he was not as unbothered by her sexiness as she pretended to be.

Gabi took a deep breath asking herself one last time if she could do what she had planned in her mind. Then, she set her jaw determined to save Gabi Chic no matter what it took and purred, "You mind if I have a drink?"

Stefan huffed derisively as he reached for his own glass. "As a matter of fact, I do, but I doubt that will stop you."

"You're right." Gabi smirked snatching the glass from his fingers and downing the remainder in one shot and setting the glass on the coffee table behind her. "Pretty smooth. The burn is nice on such a cold winter day, but I still prefer tequila or a Vixen Martini."

"Oh, well that's great for you, but now I need to get another drink so—" he started to rise, but she pushed him back down, right hand in the center of his chest & her left against the arm he'd seemed careful of in hopes of inflicting a bit of pain for being such a vindictive bastard.

His wince let her know her observation paid off. "I don't think so," she shot back, immediately climbing into his lap and straddling his hips as she reached for the documents needing his signature. "We're not even close to being done here."

Stefan swallowed, eyes at half-mast tracking her like an alligator track potential prey or danger but unsure which. Hands resting near her hips, he swallowed again & then spoke: "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Negotiating." Gabi chirped, leaning close.

"Oh, really, is that what you call it?" he asked meeting her gaze before attempting to call her bluff by sliding his palms up her bare legs to grip her hips.

Gabi let her reaction to him show not bothering to suppress the disgust or the arousal. She allowed her body to tense & arch slightly. She didn't hold back her sharp intake of breath or the way her eyes fell half-closed. And she certainly didn't miss how his pupils dilated or his nostrils flared. "You know something occurred to me recently."

"Did it?" Stefan asked near her ear. Out of his eyesight, Gabi couldn't resist rolling her eyes even as a shiver ran down her spine when he pulled her hips closer to his.

"We wouldn't be at odds if not for the interference of others in our lives. Andre stealing my company meant we never got to know each other. Never got to see what might come of our mutual attraction."

"Mutual, huh?" He chuckled against her neck as his hand slid up & down her thighs playing with the hem of her skirt on each upsweep.

"You know it is," she admitted, roll her eyes and pulling back to meet his gaze. Gabi cupped his face and continued, "We're both really victims of Chad & Abigail & Andre. They used us... played with us & threw us away when they were done. And Gabby—"

"What about Gabby?" Stefan tensed, his hands tightening just this side of painfully on her legs.

"Gabby. I mean, even Abigail saw how much you wanted me," she whispered, her eyes drooping to stare at his mouth. "It was always about me. You knew it—felt it. How right we could be if only I had been willing & able to give it a shot. But I couldn't let myself see it then."

"Couldn't see what?" Stefan asked leaning towards her mouth as she reached back to release her chignon, letting her thick dark hair curtain them.

"Our potential," she breathed against his lips before reaching forward and biting his bottom lip gently as she pulled and sucked it. "I was committed to another man & then my life was falling apart, but now—"

"So you don't blame me for what happened to you?" Stefan asked incredulously. "Am I supposed to be buying this?"

"Don't be delusional," she sneered, sliding her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and fisted it pulling his head back. "You set out to ruining my life just so you play house with Abigail's best cosplay of me. But—"

"But?"

"I can't deny it's more than a little flattering how much you crave me," she whispered, nibbling his earlobe. "Besides justice was served & I got my payback for it. You did, too. But in the end, we suffered because of the games Andre, Abigail, & Chad played with our lives."

Stefan eyed her carefully pondering her words. "What are you proposing? An affair?"

"An alliance," she corrected firmly sliding back as much as his hands would let her. "We work together. You work with me to rebuild Gabi Chic & I work with you to secure your place with the board & get Chad out of the CEO seat once & for all." She paused letting her fingers dance over his face. "And we finally get to know each other & explore this... THING between us without the outside interference. What do you say? Want to work with me and see what life on Team Gabi is really like?"

Stefan opened his mouth, but hesitated considering her & her offer carefully. Gabi used the opportunity to do her best to kiss away his doubts. She sank into a kiss so hot and luscious it threw her for a loop. It had never been like this with any other guy of all those guys she cared for it had never made her feel like this—needy & hungry. This kiss felt urgent & desperate and when his tongue begged entrance she granted it without a thought.

Gabi might have lost all sense of time and place if Stefan's hands hadn't joined the party. The hand slid up over her curves to sink deep into her long chocolate locks pulling her closer & deeper into his kiss wasn't the culprit. However, his other hand breached the snug hem of her skirt sliding it higher until his thumb was gripping impossibly high on her thigh. That woke her up to how far gone she was.

Gabi pulled back, almost reluctantly and asked, "So? Do we have a deal?"

As Stefan opened, his mouth to respond, they heard the front door open and the accompanying voices. Gabi hopped up and turned away grabbing her briefcase and snagging her mini makeup bag to see the damage.

Thankfully, she'd worn favorite longwear, smudgeproof products since she was wearing white & didn't want to accidentally ruin the look. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks were flushed, & her lips were a bit swollen, but luckily, nothing too obvious, that a few tweaks couldn't mask. Stefan's case was a little harder to hide in more than one. Gabi felt her panties dampen further as she glimpsed all that he was trying to hide behind her proposal. Gabi scooped up his glass, refilled it, and turned to hand it to him as the doors opened. "So?"

"Stefan, oh!" Chloe entered with Brady at her back. "I'm sorry to interrupt a business meeting, but I just wanted to let you know we were here Brady has a gift for Parker."

Stefan coughed and glanced up at Chloe with a kind smile Gabi had never seen before. She also noted she wasn't the only one who noticed the exchange. "I told you to make yourself at home. I know Brady is your friend. It's fine. I'm sure we can keep business & personal separate." Brady immediately tensed at the word friend.

Gabi had to choke back a snort at his attempt at posturing under the circumstances. Unfortunately, it drew unwanted attention her way, but she was ready. "This is all great, but I need to get back to work."

Gabi scooped up her things except the proposal she needed signed and prepared to go not missing the drifting eyes of both men. 'This dress is definitely going into the spring collection in several colors & patterns,' she thought.

"Gabi!" Stefan called as she brushed past Brady a little closer than necessary. "Te has conseguido un trato!" he answered, handing her the freshly signed documents nce Brady moved to make room. "See you tomorrow morning in the office."

Gabi tweaked his collar, smirked and winked before turning to go again. She made sure to put a little extra something in her exit to keep her on his mind when she was gone.

Although with little Miss Chloe Lane in desperate need of a hero, she could prove quite the distraction. Gabi just hoped she'd be a good distraction. Because one facet of her plan involved harnessing the DiMera name for herself & her daughter's future... from the inside if necessary. And if Chloe interfered—well, that hadn't worked out for Abigail & it would work out for Chloe either.


End file.
